Mayors Dialogue on Growth and Solidarity City profile: Agadez, Niger

Population: 137,354 (2017 ) GDP per capita: $555 (2019, national) Major industries: trade and logistics, livestock, agriculture Percentage of migrants: 1% (2017, national) Mayor’s name: Dr Boukari Mamane | Next election date: 2021

Socioeconomic profile Migration profile

Agadez is the fifth largest city in Niger, capital Agadez is home to a large number of internal rural of both the Agadez Region and Aïr, a traditional migrants who moved to the city in the 1970s and Tuareg–Berber federation (Institut National de la 1980s to escape severe droughts. Changes in rainfall Statistique, 2014). The city is geographically dispersed causing both drought and flash floods continue and is home to 137,354 individuals over an area to displace people across Niger (121,000 in 2019) of 213 km2 (Institut National de la Statistique du (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, n.d.). In Niger, 2020a). Since 2000, the population has been terms of international migration, Niger is home to growing by 3.17% annually (Institut National de la 295,600 foreign-born residents, mostly from nearby Statistique du Niger, 2019). A substantial proportion countries (Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso) (EU of Agadez residents are nomadic or semi-nomadic Commission, 2019). Out of Niger’s population of people (Molenaar et al., 2017). The city’s population around 21.5 million, this implies a national migrant is younger than the Nigerien average, with 40% population of around 1% (EU Commission, 2019). between the ages of 15 and 39 (Institut National de la In 2017, there were also 165,700 refugees and 300 Statistique du Niger, 2020b). The city’s historic centre asylum-seekers in Niger, mainly from Nigeria and Mali is divided into 11 quarters with irregular shapes, and (EU Commission, 2019). was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2013 (UNESCO, n.d.). Map of Niger towards Sebha Agadez has been a crossroad for trade through the Traditional route of migration Sahel region for centuries and is therefore known as Current route of migration Tchibarakaten the ‘Gateway to the Sahara’ (IOM, 2018). Although Djado Madama towards Djanet and Ghat Fr the city once served as the major gateway for African exports to North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, towards Tamanrasset gudine these trade routes declined with the advent of less Dirkou Arlit expensive sea- and air-based transport. Between ilma Daaga 1985 and 2007 the area attracted approximately Imouraren Azelik Tabelot 5,000 tourists annually, but the sector was unable Ingal US to recover following the violence of the 2007–2009 Tchintabaraden Agadez Tuareg Rebellion (Hoffman et al., 2017). The decline Tillabéri eser in tourism also badly affected demand for other local Tahoua Fr Diffa products such as artisanal handicrafts and jewellery. Niamey Zinder Gold and uranium mines temporarily offset some of Fr, De, US these employment losses, although many sites have recently closed. Local authorities report an increase Fr, De, US France, Germany and the United States in crime associated with the loss of these major livelihoods. Agadez residents now mainly depend on Agadez Region Uranium mine State capital Cassiterite and copper mine the agricultural and livestock sectors, in addition to City Gold mine trade and commerce (Hoffman et al., 2017). The World Village Salt mine Bank reports GDP per capita for Niger as $555 in 2019 Mining locality Inactive mine (World Bank data, 2019). There is little information available to estimate the GDP per capita of Agadez. Source: Hoffman et al. (2017) City profile

Agadez has been a major transit city for West African Governance structure migrants heading to Libya and on to Europe. In 2016, it was estimated that 5,000 individuals left Agadez per Niger has a multi-layered structure of municipal week en route to Libya (IOM, 2018). In 2014, more than governance, consisting of four types of state authority. half of migrants on the Italian island of Lampedusa had Central government authorities pass policies to be passed through Agadez, although the 2015 Law Against implemented at the municipal level by ‘devolved the Illicit Smuggling of Migrants led to a 75% decrease administration’ authorities (representatives of central in migrant transit (IOM, 2018). The UN Initiative on ministries in the local government). These efforts Sustainability, Stability, and Security (3S) has established are also informed by locally elected authorities and a site in Agadez where would-be migrants are trained traditional (tribal) authorities. Decentralisation in in land restoration techniques, then reintegrated into Niger began in 2002, with the central government their countries of origin with a plot of land and access to transferring authority over development, education, credit (UN Chronicle, 2016). transportation, healthcare, land management and local taxes to city councils. However, these efforts Agadez is described as a culturally heterogeneous city, have met with severe delays due to a shortage of home to a large number of residents from the Tuareg and qualified personnel and municipalities lacking their Toubou ethnic groups, as well as a Libyan-descended own tax infrastructure (Molenaar et al., 2017). Arab population (Via Tourism Review, 2012). The The municipal council of Agadez is elected every ethnic groups have reached an informal understanding five years through local universal suffrage. The city of their economic niches: the Toubou oversee trade and has 20 councillors, of which currently 15% are transit to Libya as well as transportation to the Djado female (Institut National de la Statistique du Niger, gold mines, while the Tuareg do the same for Algeria 2020a). There are six specialised committees within and the Tchinchaden gold mines. The Arabs manage the municipal council, including financial affairs, cross-border trade of agro-food products from Libya and development and environment, economic affairs and Algeria and have recently expanded into transportation, land affairs (Molenaar et al., 2017). construction and public works (Molenaar et al., 2017).

References

EU Commission (2019) ‘Niger migration profile’ (https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC117921/mp_niger_2019_online.pdf). Hoffman, A., Meester, J. and Manou Nabara, H. (2017) ‘Migration and markets in Agadez: economic alternatives to the migration industry’. Clingendael. Netherlands Institute of International Relations (www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/Migration_and_Markets_Agadez.pdf). Institut National de la Statistique (2014) ‘Niger census 2012’ (http://anado.ins.ne/index.php/catalog/61). Institut National de la Statistique du Niger (2019) ‘Annuaires Statistiques – editions annuelles’ (www.stat-niger.org/?page_id=200). Institut National de la Statistique du Niger (2020a) ‘Annuaire des Statistiques Regionales’ (www.stat-niger.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AS_ Agadez_2013_2017.pdf). Institut National de la Statistique du Niger (2020b) ‘Agadez en Chiffres’ (www.stat-niger.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Agadez_Chiffres_2017.pdf). Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (n.d.) ‘Niger: country information’ (www.internal-displacement.org/countries/niger). IOM – International Organization for Migration (2018) ‘Study report on community integration and perceptions of border security in the Agadez region’ (https:// publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/agadez_study_report_on_community_perceptions_en.pdf). Molenaar, F., Ursu, A. and Ayouba Tinni, B. (2017) ‘Local governance opportunities for sustainable migration management in Agadez’. Clingendael. Netherlands Institute of International Relations (www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/Local_governance_opportunities_for_sustainable_migration_ management_Agadez.pdf). UN Chronicle (2016) ‘A way back’ (www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/way-back). UNESCO (n.d.) ‘Historic centre of Agadez’ (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1268/). Via Tourism Review (2012) ‘Tourism and gender identities in Agadez, Niger’ Via Tourism Review (https://journals.openedition.org/viatourism/1136?lang=en). World Bank data (2019) ‘GDP per capita (current US$)’ (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?locations=NE).